Theology and the Marvel Universe (Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture)

In Theology and the Marvel Universe, fourteen contributors examine theological themes and ideas in the comic books, television shows, and films that make up the grand narrative of the Marvel Universe. Engaging in dialogue with theological thinkers such as Willie James Jennings, Franz Rosenzweig, Søren Kierkegaard, René Girard, Kelly Brown Douglas, and many others, the chapters explore a wide variety of topics, including violence, sacrifice, colonialism, Israeli-Palestinian relations, virtue ethics, character formation, identity formation, and mythic reinvention. This book demonstrates that the stories of Thor, Daredevil, Sabra, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Thanos, Luke Cage, and others engage not just our imagination, but our theological imagination as well. Theology and the Marvel Universe combines cutting-edge scholarship on theology with the comic, film, and television stories of the Marvel Universe. Fourteen contributors from around the world engage these stories in a theological dialogue that highlights the significance of these stories as a vibrant part of our cultural mythology.